Formed in 2012 by Hermes (ex-Necrosadist), this Cypriot one-man black metal project has up to now released just one EP – 2013’s self-titled effort. Intended as more of an individual and explorative project than his past endeavours, the words of the man himself best encapsulate what Tome Of The Unreplenished is all about: “An artistic musical project created as a source of self expression and visualization, combined with a soothing yet dismal form of language and execution. The representation of conceptual philosophy, progression, and elevation through sound.” Well, having listened to ‘Innerstanding’ numerous times by now, it’s hard to disagree with any of the above.
From the off, we’re eased into the expanses of Hermes’ vision as echoes ethereally rise up from the black. ‘Anima Mundi’ is an entirely keyboard centred piece although even when we get to the metal, with ‘Take Me to the Stars’, ‘transcendental’ is still the key word as detached, thudding drums and a veil of guitars join in. A sense of subtlety pervades: from riffs that rise up and down, blowing like cosmic winds; to vocals which prove more of a deep narration than your traditional, in-your-face black metal approach. At one point in the opener, the music even breaks away completely as peculiar alien sound effects and bleating take its place. TOTU is, for sure, an unconventional entity. At times there’s the odd indicator of something almost familiar, such as the dramatic Mediterranean-feeling riffs at the start of ‘Emanation of the Purest Essence’. Rather than carrying you across the sea, however, this musical vessel is bent on ferrying all and sundry through the expanses of consciousness, space and time. And the experience is surprisingly calming.
The single most fascinating aspect of ‘Innerstanding’ is the sparse, minimalist utilisation of vocals, which enables the music all the room it needs to transport us along single-handedly. In this sense, Hermes’ perceptive approach to music making deserves nothing but praise – especially as the music itself does manage to draw the listener in so effortlessly. On the epic, flowing ‘Transcended Body’ for instance, the musical gears shift almost imperceptibly and, again, the vocals play no more of a part than they need to – conveying their seemingly profound observations though no more. Another brief keyboard inspired meditation arrives in the form of ‘Planetary Transmissions’ before arguably the best track of the album – and the only one culled from the EP – ‘A Monument in Time’ injects a little more impetus into proceedings. Initially ploughing through the cosmos at a foreboding rate with the aid of some blasts and dense, monolithic riffs, the track goes on to express a range of moods, culminating in layers of hope and pure majesty.
Really the only part of the album I find hard going is the nine-minute closer ‘The Precessional March’. Again it’s minimalist and sparse but the vaguely Celtic guitar work and sheer repetition of this results in a conclusion which is more exhausting than captivating. It’s a minor shame but there’s still more than enough to recommend ‘Innerstanding’ as a unique piece of black metal art. In the truest sense of the word it is a mood album – one which requires the listener to lose him/herself in the concept. And impressively, given the genre, it oozes invitation far more than alienation.
(8/10 Jamie)
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